Friday 20 September 2013

17th century embroidery at the Royal Armoury in Sweden

I have a little treat for you today, at least if you like embroidery. My friend Caroline is an intern at the museum Livrustkammaren right now and she, lucky girl, gets to handle things and also take photos of them. When I saw the gorgeous pictures I asked her to guest blog here, but she declined and said I could post them anyway. All the photos you see her are hers, though and I think you should pop over to her DevinatArt page. She is a very talented seamstress!

Gloves, thought to have belonged to Maria Eleonora, Gustaf II Adolf’s queen, dated 1620-1632. Made in golden brown goat skin. The collar is stiffened and covered with brown and purple silk. Embroidered with goldwork, red and white silk, spangles, pearls and gold lace.
 
 


 I don’t know much about these gloves, but they are to be exhibited with the ones above, so probably date to the same period. Multi-coloured silk embroidery and goldwork.

 
 
 
 
The oddly modern looking red and white thing is something that decorated a horse at a tournament. I haven’t the slightest idea what to call it. Anyway, it is made of white taffeta with appliqués in silk, with some additional gold and silverwork. The fringed is made of silver and brown silk and it is lined with black linen. The colours are Maria Eleonora’s and it was made for her wedding to Gustaf II Adolf in 1620. It was made by the court tailor Baltzar Dinet and a man called Anders Pärlstickare (Pearl-stitcher). I don’t know why there are French lilies on it; Maria Eleonora was a German princess.

A never finished jacket in chamois leather, embroidered with brown silk and unspun blue silk. I think it’s a men’s jacket that was meant for Gustaf II Adolf.

 
 

6 comments:

Drea said...

Thank you so much for posting pics of the jacket pieces!! I saw a picture of them once in a book on Swedish dress, and have been trying to find better pictures ever since. Lovely!

Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker and Mantua-Maker said...

Wow! These gloves are gorgeous! Thanks for posting all these great photos!

Isis said...

Drea: My pleasure! I was very pleased as well to get such nice photos of it!

Isis said...

Deb Salisbury: I'm glad you enjoyed it!

ZipZip said...

Dear Isis,

Wowsers. The 17th century does such magnificent work. Love the couching on the jacket. Very doable. The mother swan feeding her cygnets with her own blood is an ancient symbol and I hope apt for the queen who wore the gloves.

My favorite is what is surely a lace collar. Interested in the puffed backing on the center back...does it help hold the lace up, I wonder?

Very best, and thank you (both) for a wonderful treat,

Natalie

Elena Jardiniz said...

Gorgeous photos, thank youto your friend for sharing them!
Glove cuffs:
The bee for Industry
The peacock and pomogranate are for Hera, Zeus' wife and thus also an allegory
The tree on a rock might be a Tree of Life
All look quite appropriate for a bride

The Pelican is shown 'in piety' when she's shown piercing her breast to feed her young when there is no food to give them. It's like a lizard in flames is a heraldic "salamander"

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